Piano-bench.



2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. F. HAWK.

PIANO BENCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 13, I913.

Patented Mar. 21,1916.

Am /r704 HARLES F. Hn w THE COLUMBIA VLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, n. c.

C. F. HAWK.

PIANO BENCH.

APPLICATlON FILED mac. :3. 1913.

SHEET 2 Patented Mar.

2 SHEETS- Fig.4

Fig. 5

mam? r cflmuts Ff HAWK CHARLES HAWK, 0F AKRON, OHIO.

PIANO-BENCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. HAWK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Benches, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements'in piano benches, and the improvement comprises the construction and arrangement of parts substantially as herein shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a piano bench with a hinged cover or top adapted'to be used as a seat and which may be opened to uncover a shallow receptacle for sheet music or other articles, and a further object is to provide this cover with means to raise and lower the same to diiferent elevations to accommodate the convenience or necessity of different persons in playing a piano or a player piano. The seat elevating means is also particularly designed to close the gap atthe rear of the seat when elevated and which would be unsightly and unfinished if open, and said means is also constructed to afiord a secure stable seat when elevated. The seat elevating mechanism may be attached to any standard piano bench having a top receptacle, and this is of decided advantage to manufacturers of piano benches as their present benches may be made into convertible benches without reconstruction or change in design or style.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a piano bench embodying my improvement, although the bench, when closed as shown, is the same in appearance as a style or kind now before .the public. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the bench with the seat lowered, but the legs of the bench are broken away and the central portion of the bench is also shown as removed to permit the mechanism within to be shown about half size. Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 33, Fig. 2, the cover or seat being partly lifted in clottedv lines to indicate the hinge movement. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section in plan on line 4-4, Fig. 3, of one end of the bench. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bench with the seat elevated and as the bench appears from the rear when placed before a piano as in use. Fig. 6 is a cross section Specification of Letters Patent. Patented M 21, 1916;

Application filed December 13; 1913. l Serial No. 806,366. 4

similar to Fig. except that the cover is f elevatedfront andrear and at an inclinatlon for'use with a player piano.

The bench comprises a shallow receptacle 2 mounted on legs 3 and provided with a hinged cover 4 adapted to provide a seat. The dimensions and style of this bench may vary. Ordinarily, the cover 4 is hinged directly to the receptac1e'2, but in my invention the cover 4- is hinged to the front end of the head 5 of a stem or standard 6 which is slidably mounted in a vertical guide or support 7 affixed tothe inside wall of the front board 8 of the receptacle. Head 5 projects over the top edge of the board, which is notched at 9 to seat the head when lowered, and the object in thus extending the seat hinge forwardly is to permit the cover to be raised and to turn without interference with the front board, especially when the parts are in their lower positions of rest as in Fig. 3. It is customary to use a. chain or link to limit the opening movement of the cover, and I may employ this common expedient for the same purpose if it is found necessary or desirable.

The means to elevate and lower the cover and to positively support it in elevated position at both the front and rear sides of the bench comprises a pivoted member 10 at each end of the bench at the rear thereof within receptacle 2 and these members are rigidly united at their free ends by a bar or strip 11 which is preferably made of the same wood or finished to correspondto the rear board 12 of the'receptacle 2 so that whenraised to seat upon the upper edge ofrear board 12 as seen in Fig. 6, the appearance of the bench will be sightly and in keeping with the design or style as a whole. The length of the strip or connecting bar 11 is also preferably equal to the length of the bench, but in order to avoid rest position on the cross walls 14, see Fig.- 3. The width of the strip 11 or the length of the pivoted members 10 determines the height to which the rear portion of cover 4 may be placed at rest, and this elevation is preferably fixed above the front portion of the cover as raised by standard 6 to es- I ticalposition, see Fig' s and 6.

tablish an inclined seat and betterfounda tion in operating the pedals of a player piano. However, this inclinationds not an;

arbitrary requirement and the elevating and supporting parts for the seatmay bQTOthQf-"P- place the seat horlzonwise proportioned to tal Or on a level. Elevation of the front portion. of the cover or seat 4: is accomplished by'engaging strip 11, by hand when cover tis raised and out ofthe way, and by imparting a turning movement to members 101 from a 1 head 5 of standard 6. -Whenthe bell-crank 15 is turned to rest position against lug 18, the pivot connection 20 of link 19 with the "bell-crank is thrown beyond the dead center line between pivot 16 and'the head i and linkfpivot 21, see Fig. 6.; The result is that all the Weight or pressure which is brm gfnt to, bear upon the front portion of the seator cover 4 When elevated will be positively and securely resisted and maintained by the associated parts.- The rear portion of the-seat is supported by the; strip 11 the full length 01": said strip When seated.

on rear board12, andthe seat is'stable and solid and Will support as many persons as the length thereof will accommodate. The cross wall 14 is preferablya metal casting, but not necessarily, and it. ismade a removable or independent partgof; the receptacleto fit snugly therein between the, rear and frontboards and tobe fastened theretoby screws or otherwise, andv when in place these cross-walls divide the receptacle into twosmall end compartments 22 and one long middle compartment .23 which may, be subdivided also if I desired. The point .is that the cross-walls not only brace and'strengthen thereceptacle body but also prevent the: sheet music or other articles placedin themiddle compartment from coming in contact with and interferingwith the action ofthe operating parts fixed on the, sides: of the cross-walls 14. Moreover,

the operating partsmav be bodily removed from the receptacle without.disconnecting them ordisturbing their fiiied working re-.

lations ;on said cross-walls or with each other. Assembly of thebench is thus simout *skilled labor.

the seat or 'cover may be provided with a depending strip or board 24 to come Within the receptacle when the seat or cover is down, and to'finis'h' and conceal the work-" or. cover lselevated, K

ing parts when the seat see Fig.5.:

i/Vhat Iclaim is: V t

flij-rhpiano bench having a seat, and elevating mechanism. for the seat bodily' 're-V placeable. jointly with the seat 'upon said benchcomprising vertically slidable stand ards at the front. of the seat and hinged thereto and a support for the rear of 'the seat hinged to the bench and operatively' connected to said slidable "standards.

' 2. A piano bench havingiareceptacle in its top, seat elevating mechanism mounted within the ends of saidreceptacleandoperatively' connected with the walls otsaid receptacle, and a'seat hinged to said'mechanism, the said mechanism comprising vertically shdable supports having hinged connection with the seat and a supporting board for theseat pivoted on the benchhaving link connection with said vertically slidable supports. p p

. 3. A.p1ano bench having a seat and a seat elevating mechanism within the top thereof comprising slidable supports hav-v 1 ing heads hinged'to said. seat at the front thereof and a movable support for said mechanism adapted to. provide a rest for the rear of said seatpivotally mounted on the sides of saidbench and link and lever mechanism'connecting the said rest with said slidable supports.

t-IA piano bench having a seat, a ver tically-movablestandard having a hinged connection withsaid seat and operating connections for saidsta ndard comprising a movable partaidapted to be raised to a vertical position toiform a restv for, the hinged endof the seat, and uren 'm ans for the seat atthe free end thereof,; operatively connected by a link with said movablepart for the standard.

In testimony awher'eot I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I p

CHARLES HAWK.

' Witnesses:

R. B.MosEn, F. C. MUssoN'.

Copies 'of'this patent may he obtained for'five cents e achi by addressing the Commissioner or Patents,

" WashingtomDrGL 

